How would you pen makers reply?

[Bill MacLachlan]

I made a cocobolo pen / pencil set and we gave it to a retiring colleague. I sold to my manager for $50.00. I sold another set while at the dinner. Now trying to sell pens to the company as golf prizes or thank you gifts. We are dickering about the price. I have said $30.00 per pen and they have countered at $25.00 per including lazer etching the company name or logo. They would purchase a lot of 25.
The problem is they have seen an ad in some promotion book for a rosewood pen c/w box for $16.99 for 50. I am going to tell them no, but wonder what a good price should be. I think the production ones are cheap, but at their price I would be working for nothing. I guess they are trying to tell me why they pay me "so little" to do my real job!!
Thanks, Bill

[Joe Tonich]

What your selling is a "one of a kind" product. No two are exactly alike. Your time and knowledge are worth something and the wood, kits, your tools and electric to run your lathe are expenses also. I wouldn't "lowball" your prices unless you LOVE to turn pen sets! Tell them to go ahead and purchase the cheaper items as "you get what you pay for".

Just my opinion,

Joe

[Ron McNeil]

Bill I am new to wood working have only been really making sawdust since last July. I have made about 3 dozens Pens all except a few have been Euro style Pens. I live and work in the Washington DC area. The cost of living is fairly high. I sell my pens for $25.00 each. I know of others who sell for more and some who sell for less. At this stage I'm trying to make a little but mostly would like to be able to restock supplies from my sales. Each must value their time and costs accordingly.

[Jim Baker]

I have no specific knowledge of pen pricing, but I too would suggest holding your price. I have worked in a sales and marketing business for all of my working life. It doesn't take long to figure out that you will never win the low price game.

If you sell them too cheap, I would also be concerned that you will get many requests to make things for people, but will never make any profit. I don't know about you, but if I'm going to work for nothing, I would rather make things for myself or to give as gifts.

[Ken Salisbury]

Your $25 price including engraving is close to what I charge for 1 pen at a time. I don't know what you are paying for engraving so it would be hard to say what the total price should be. For quanities of 50 or more I probably would charge around $20 to $22 ea. That is based on me buying kits in 100 pc quanities which reduces cost significantly. You can see how I price my products by going to the store on my web site. Keep in mind the prices on the web site are approximately 10% higher than direct sales prices.
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Ken's Store Page (http://www.klsal.com/Store.htm)

[Brad Hammond]

i agree with joe..........when i give a price, that's usually IT. i may be a little proud of my pens and furniture, but you're gonna get a good product. but at the same time, my main focus for making furniture and pens are for my personal use and if someone sees something they like and wants one i'm more than happy to reproduce, but i'm gonna make some kind of profit for more kits or new tools.
cya
brad

[George Summers]

I don't make pens, but, I would guess that the ones in the promo catalog are made off shore, on an automated (or at the least semi-automated) lathe on a production line basis with cheap innards installed. When done this way, with a thousand plus/day output, they can afford to pay the shipping costs and still make money. If you have a laser engraver and run it eight hours a day, the per piece cost is next to nothing. I would suspect that the seller's landed cost of the $16.99 pen is less than $10. You are offering, on the other hand, individually turned units, with better mechanisms, and in a choice of material (not just rosewood).

George

[Bill MacLachlan]

You guys are saying exactly what I thought you would say. And exactly what I am going to tell them Monday.
BTW, I checked with a local engraver and that part would cost me $5.00 to $7.50 per pen. And a set up charge could be extra as well.
So this is a definite no thanks. I will continue making and give my business customers my pens and sell them to whoever would like them. I will leave the "cheap" ones for everybody else's customers.
I made a couple of crushed velvet ones today and that stuff looks really nice when polished.
Bill

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I sold a few hundred pens a few years back, and those imported 'rosewood' sets they sell at the local laser place were a big factor in my decision to not bother with them anymore. I've looked at 'em closely, and they're very good. The parts look surprisingly like the kits being imported, and the boxes they come in are nice. 'One of a kind' aside, it pains me to say it, but I'D buy them myself before I bought a 'home turned' set.

KC